Lette the tractor pulling rivalry begin

The Scottsdale Tractor Pull Challenge this weekend will bring out the rivalries between the state’s toughest tractor owners, but none will be more fierce than between the Lettes and the Halls.

Scottsdale seed potato grower John Lette is going in hard with an impressive lineup of workhorses that he’s hoping will leave his Bridport brother Graeme Lette and cross-town nemesis Tim Hall spinning in their tracks.

The competition, held in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Scottsdale, is held at Santarena Park on January 31 and February 1 with gates opening at 9.30am, pulling starting at 11am. Entry is $15 with under 16s free.

John will have his collection of six vintage tractors there, with all but one with dozer tracks entered in their specific category.

In the fleet there is:

An 8-tonne 886 International, around 48 years old, that he bought from a gentleman in Exeter specifically to have a go at tractor pulling three years ago. It won her class last year and John is tipping this is the one to beat Tim Hall.

It will be the first time out for his Farmhall H, built between 1939 and 1953, 30hp, which he bought from Georgetown.

The Farmhall A is about 85 years old, 18hp, and competed last year. It was literally in a class of its own but might have some more competition this time out.

Heading along for display purposes only will be the Marshall crawler, which also came out with a blade, used in WWII by local Women’s Land Army ladies on the farm. With a 5.1 litre engine with one cylinder, it’s rated at 30hp and it’s started with a shotgun cartridge.

Yet to be tidied up is his 1830 Marshall, which early in its , in the 1950s, sewed 1200 acres of grain in one season with its tiny drill.

Also ready to pull are two Marshalls that John picked up in outback New South Wales – a 1947-49 Series II Marshall and a rare 1220 Marshall, 92 years old. Only about 260 were ever built and John believes there’s one other in Tasmania that he’s never laid eyes on.

Most of the tractors have been restored or tidied up by John and his son Adam with the help of leading hand fabricator Greg Baldwin, and they will be put to the test mechanically pulling a sled loaded up with water weights along the competition track.

“The aim is to get a full pull, right to the end without slipping and spinning,” John said.

“With water constantly added to the surface I’ll be trying to stay off the tracks from previous competitors where it can get slippery.”

As for the local rivalry, Tim will have keep an eye on the Lettes, who once sneakily squirted water under his tractor that had been having some water leak troubles and caused enough doubt for him not run it.

And maybe it will come back to bite them  . . .